Enchant
by EmilyCatGirl
Summary: Jasmine was pretty sure she wasn't normal, and she was right: she was a Pyromancer. After realizing someone out there wanted her dead, it was up to her and her trusty comrades to find the wizard behind the recent attacks in Ravenwood. Rated T for language. 【Discontinued until college】
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _The moon shines eerily bright over New York, a dark-blue figure holding a long stick with a bright circular light on top of it. An old man, he wears a blue long robe, a pointy, funny-shaped hat and the shoes of a jester; he holds his staff up high at the street lights and mutters in an enchanting language._

 _"Laccio Numolux Ala Riductio..." The lights slowly dies down and soon everything was in darkness and silence..._

 _A figure of a white owl flies passes the mysterious old man and lands on a thick branch._

 _"Good evening, Gamma." he says to the owl, which leaves the branch and lands on his staff swiftly,_

 _"Good afternoon to you, too, Merle." the owl, which is now known as Gamma, responds politely, then immediately asks "Headmaster, are you sure that she'll be suitable for this environment? I have been watching this place for the whole day, and believe me, This is one of the worst place a child could be raised in!"_

 _"It sounded as if you have several queries about this matter, Gamma." Merle chuckled at his pet's worried tone, "Nevertheless, until the attacks at Ravenwood are decreased, our students are better far off from the Spiral. It's just too dangerous, especially for her."_

 _"This child is going to be growing up far away from our lives, until someday, when she will finally discover what she's truly capable of." Gamma added. They stopped by 'St. Georgia's Home For Girls' Orphanage'._

 _"Now," Merle went on, "we wait."_

 _In the distant, several shadows stretched towards them on the streets: they were Professor Dalia Falmea, Moolinda Wu, Halston Balestrom, Lydia Greyrose and Cyrus Drake._

 _"Good evening, professors." Merle greeted with a slight nod._

 _"Good evening." said Falmea,_

 _"Why, hello, Merle." Wu replied._

 _"Nice stormy weather tonight!" Balestrom commented._

 _"How do you do?" Greyrose spoke._

 _"This is simply pointless!" Cyrus grumbled._

 _"Now, we all know why we came here." Merle started, "Moolinda, do you have the young wizard with you?"_

 _"Yes, Merle. She's right here." Moolinda revealed an infant girl, asleep in her arms. Professor Wu gently shifted the child into Headmaster Ambrose's arms. He slowly slid the baby onto a doormat and placed a note along with her as Balestrom rapidly knocked the enormous door._

 _They were able to slip away quick enough from the brightened streets just before the door creaked. A woman stepped out as she surveyed around the road, and heard a soft cry from the child just beside her feet._

 _Moolinda sniffed into her handkerchief as they witnessed the woman carried the little girl into the orphanage._

 _"Oh, there, there, Moolinda. This isn't going to be the last time we see her!" Merle Ambrose whispered and smiled, the sun was slowly rising at the horizons as Gamma watched,_

 _"Perhaps we should get going, Merle."_

 _"Indeed, Gamma." Merle answered quietly._

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"Jasmine! Jasmine? You up?" Aunt Bee excitedly came up to the attic dormitory, "The Penningtons are coming for an interview with you in two minutes sharp!"

Aunt Bee was a very wise woman, not quite old enough to be Jas' grandmother. Her tied-up hair had gray lines on her fringe, and her bright brown, squared-framed glasses really brought out the blue in her eyes.

"Okay!" Jasmine slowly stepped away from the window, she exhaled as she thought to herself. _This time! This time for sure!_ She glanced at the sketches which were just outlined perfectly. Hopefully perfect enough to impress these Penningtons. _Now don't you freaking screw up this time!_

Jas wasn't a bad kid, in fact, she was a genuinely decent, expressive, lively when she had to yet sensitive girl that wasn't so lucky when it came to showing her fair share of hobbies. When many other _"cool"_ girls she knew preferred mini-pedis, shopping their hearts out, texting till their eyes bleed; she had her own aesthetic way to pass the time. And it could be proven by the graffiti and all the pages of her work that were stuck onto the wooden walls. Unfortunately, none of them were helpful enough for the past 15 years. Not because they were bad, it was because things happen whenever she was under pressure, and it happened to every interviewers she came across. "No pressure," She whispered to herself, "seriously."

"Nothing says 'adopt me' like scraps of crappy doodles..." Her roommate grumbled, sarcasm heavily dripping from each word. Jas despised her so much that she never bothered to know her name. "Seriously, though. What's the point of trying so hard when you know nobody is going to adopt you?"

"What do you know?" Jas glared as she murmured.

"They're here!" Aunt Bee squealed,

Hearing that, the anger and frustration developed a minute ago were gone as if they evaporated. "Alright, I think I'm ready!" Jas quickly grabbed the sketchbook, and prayed under her breath as she left the room.

"Jas! Wait!" Jas turned as Aunt Bee started adjusting her jacket and smoothing her dark-indigo hair, "Now remember: smile, sit up straight, look at them in the eyes. Let me just fix your- oh." Aunt Bee pauses as she discovered pencil markings on her cheekbone.

"Aunt Bee..." Jas groaned.

"Oh, alright! Right!" Aunt Bee said as she dusted her shoulder, "Now go show them how special you are!"

Jas nodded and delightedly exited the room. "I hope this is it!" Aunt Bee breathed nervously, "Let's hope she'll really get adopted today!"

"She's toast." muttered a voice from Jas' room.

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"So, Jasmine. Do you like movies?" Mr. Pennington asked as Mrs. Pennington was holding a notebook. Both of them were blonde, wearing business suites, and staring at Jas intently.

"Uh, no. I don't watch movies often, and we don't have a lot of DVDs in the orphanage." Jas answered nervously. Every time when facing an interview, she felt more like being interrogated. Jas wondered may be this was why interviews always have to be so intense.

"Well, that explains your posture." Mrs Pennington commented as she started scribbling notes, "So poised, very nice." Jas didn't think of her current position as 'poised', she preferred 'petrified'.

She gulped at the speed of Mrs. Pennington's writing.

"Now, what sports do you enjoy?" She asked again.

"I don't do any sports. I usually prefer doing something like these." Jas held up her sketchbook, which Mr. Pennington swiftly snatched from her.

"How original. Very creative. Quite a potential, indeed!" He stated as he examined the drawings. Jas jumped as he slammed the book closed. "How is it looking, hon?"

"Well, she answered all the questions!" Mrs. Pennington replied.

"Perfect!" He exclaimed delightfully.

"Does that mean I'm gonna be adopted?" Jas couldn't help grinning. She almost stood up from her chair.

"Why, of course!" Mr. Pennington yelled. "According to the research my wife have been taking for the last hour, forty-seven minutes and twenty-one seconds, your artistic nature proves you possess the steady Cerebellum and Limbic System!"

Jas' mind went blank. "Uh... Wut?"

"We're scientists, you see. Even though our degrees weren't exactly legally achieved." Mrs. Pennington explained, "And at the moment, we're investigating some other people's ways of functioning in their brains."

"B-brains?" The lights flickered for a mini second as she felt beads of sweat on her forehead. _Shit._

"Our son is currently suffering adjustment disorder, which occurs in his brain..."

"And we're trying to replace it."

That did it.

All of the windows shattered, and a nearby flower pot exploded, now there were dirt allover their faces. Jas winced as fragments from the broken glass grazed her skin.

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"I hope you enjoyed-" Aunt Bee paused to gasp, "What on earth happened!?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Collins. But that _girl_ is definitely not suitable for us!" Jas saw Mr. Pennington yelled furiously with Mrs. Pennington sobbing and quivering in fear, as she peeked from her attic door just before the entrance doors were slammed close. _God, I wanna slap someone._ She growled in her head.

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Aunt Bee gently knocked the door as she came in. Jasmine was leaning against the window frame with a mug in her hand, several empty coffee packs lied on the floor beside the bed. "Four Cappuccinos. Not a good sign." Jas slowly turned her head, her auburn eyes shifted from the ground to Aunt Bee, who exhaled softly as she stared at Jas' anguished aspect. "Dinner is ready, you can come down anytime now."

"I lost my appetite..." Jas grumbled morosely,

Aunt Bee slowly approached her, "Listen, we just haven't find... uh-" She paused for a thought, "the most suitable family for you!"

"For 135 times..." Jas said gloomily.

"E-excuse me?" Aunt Bee asked, baffled.

"That how many interviews I had." Jas explained, walking towards the doorway.

"Oh, come now! You're being ridi-" Aunt Bee froze as Jas revealed the back her bedroom door: thousands of markings, grazed into tally marks. "Oh..."

"Plus, I'm fifteen now, everybody knows how difficult for a girl my age to be adopted." Jas sat on her bed with a aggravated sigh. "I might as well give up..."

"Now, Jas-" Aunt Bee began,

"Not even my own parents want me." Jas murmured.

"Stop it now. You don't know that." Aunt Bee said with the most commanding and comforting tone she could muster.

"Then why is it that I'm here?" Jas began to shout.

"They may have been incapable of taking care of you. Did you ever think about that?"

Giving it a real thought: no, she hadn't. Jas felt that she was starting to lose her optimism, which is something she was always good at. "I never thought of it that way..."

"I'm sure your parents must have cared for you very much," Aunt Bee stated, "and bless their soul, wherever they are."

She slouched and sighed deeply as she thought back how rude she was, "I'm sorry, Aunt Bee."

"Come here, sweetie." Aunt Bee embraced her in comfort, which was returned slowly.

"I just want to know what it is to have a family," Jas whimpered, "is that too much to ask for?"

"Oh, don't be such a buzzkill!" Aunt Bee pulled away, "You'll find somewhere that you'll really belong, where you can have your own family. You just have to find out where it is and you'll know it when you can feel it."

"How do I do that?"

"Well, one thing is for sure: you can't do it with an empty stomach!"

Jas' stomach growled softly at that statement,

 _I never realized just how hungry I was..._ She managed to crack a smile.

Aunt Bee chuckled, "Now, let's go downstairs where we'll dine peacefully, shall we?"

"Okay."

* * *

 **Author's note: Nothing's happening yet! I feel like this is more like a prologue than a chapter. Then again, it's a little too long to be a prologue.**

 **I really hope this isn't too cliche so far; I've been trying so hard to avoid the whole 'shy girl saving the world' thing that I almost forgot about the other characters! I really hope this is a good start!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

It was evening now, it wouldn't hurt to study just a few minutes more, for 'educational purposes' right? After all, this is pretty much the only thing that all teachers in _Helvedist High School of NYC_ cared about.

The phone vibrated twice on her bed. One text message from two of her very few people she knew from class.

 **From Owen:**

 **hey Picasso Jr, it's been a while.** **remember that Biology textbook you let me borrow a month ago? xD**

 **I can return it tomorrow if you'll be there to get it.**

Jasmine raised a brow, she couldn't remember the last time she had paid attention to Biology class. It wouldn't make a difference even if he _did_ remember to return it.

 **From Jas:**

 **yeah sure, I'll be here. Count on it.** _Sent_

Another one was from a girl who was currently running away with her boyfriend who just got out of prison, or so she heard.

 **From Ashley:**

 **hey there, me and Benny here are cuddling up** **in our new hotel we found last night.**

 **how you doing? Haven't seen you for so long! I** **sent you a pic of Benny's new car. It's** **not pretty but comfy**

 **P.S. remember to get out with your skinny ass** **and get a bae alrdy! I'm actually worried for** **you!**

 **Promise you'll visit us when we get back?**

Jas chuckled at the 'P.S.' part. Ashley perfectly knew that it was pretty much Mission Impossible for anyone on Earth for Jas to be with.

She shuddered at her break up with a douchebag she was paired up with last time. That boy... stink, thus the nickname: He-Who-Do-Not-Get-Bathed.

 **From Jas:**

 **hi and miss you, too! That car looks okay, I guess. And** **please stop worrying about me, I'm happy, really :)**

 **I promise. Say hi to Benjamin for me** _Sent_

The door slowly opened, revealing the last face Jas wanted to see tonight.

"Oh, that's what I thought... You're still here..." Jas' roommate groaned as she came in. Jas didn't even bothered to come up with a good comeback to throw at her, so she kept her eyes on the book as she responded, "I live here, y'know." she went on, "For now, at least."

"Still thinking you can get adopted, huh?" She said, "Give it up, already, will you?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't, it just annoys me to see you trying so hard."

If anything was worse than her being pressured thus bringing supernatural disasters of terror, it was her anger. Last time she got ticked off, she nearly blew up an entire gymnasium, almost resulted being sentenced to spend several years of juvi. She closed her eyes to contain herself.

"At least I'm willing to try!" Jas snapped back, "Unlike you, always too busy making yourself look like you have beauty pageants everyday!" As she shouted, the nearby window began to crack. Jas quickly exhaled, desperately to remain calm.

"It doesn't matter what I wear! The truth is that you're always just wasting your time on something you know you'll never get." She replied, "Face it! You're just a delusional bitch. No wonder almost everyone you know gave up on you."

One of her perfume bottles exploded, causing the liquid landing on her phone charger. "What the _hell!?_ " the girl shrieked as she backed away from her desk. They both stared, stunned.

 _Did I do that?_

"What just happened?" Jas mumbled.

"You tell me!" She screeched, with fear, or anger. Jas couldn't tell. "You did something, didn't you!?"

"… No." Lights began to flicker,

"Bullshit!" She yelled again. "You're just talking bullshit! That's all you ever do!" Light bulbs instantly blew up above their heads. Jas marched towards her roommate, who could literally feel Jas' warmth of anger as soon as she glared at her, almost nose-to-nose,

"I. Am. So. Sick of you!" Now they were both losing it. "All I've ever done with you was trying my best to stay out of your way, so you can quit ruining my life!"

The ground was literally shaking, several objects fell from the shelves. Though they both were too occupied with each other to notice a thing.

"You're not the only one trying to make a living here!" Jas growled again. One of the windows shattered, the girls shrieked. Jas quickly surveyed the surroundings. Everything was falling apart, Jas glanced at her roommate, who was sobbing fearfully.

 _Dammit! Now I messed up!_ She crouched, closed her eyes and held her head. _Just calm, calm down._ Minutes later, the room slowly ceased shaking. Jas didn't dare to check on her roommate.

" _Good grief_ " Aunt Bee crashed in, and immediately rushed to comfort the girl besides Jas as soon as she saw her, who looked like death itself. "There there, Sandy! It's alright!" She whispered in comfort. "Jasmine! What did you do this time!?"

"I..." Jas tried to think of an excuse, a reason, a distraction, anything at all but her head was in a blank. "I'm not sure what I did..." Jas collapsed on her bed. Aunt Bee was for sure going to be as disappointed as much as she was in herself. She was so confused, the only thing she was sure enough was that she finally knew her roommate's name: Sandy.

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The attic required serious make over, everyone was downstairs so the roof was pretty much the only place that was completely vacated.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" Jas whined, "I won't lose it again."

"You damn tooting won't do it again! This behavior is simply unacceptable! And uncharacteristic of you, too." Aunt Bee stated, "What on earth provoked you?"

"Exactly! That's the problem! I don't know!" Jas stood as she yelled, "Every time I feel upset, everything went down! Who am I, Harry Potter!?" Aunt Bee merely observed as Jas ranted. She sighed as she paused by a puddle, and scowled at her own reflection. "What even am I?" Aunt Bee gazed at her as Jas' voice softened, everything tensed with silence.

"Come on, Jas." Aunt Bee spoke suddenly, "There's something I need to tell you."

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"I'm a what?" Jas breathed, "Y-you're kidding! Right?" Aunt Bee shook her head slowly.

"When you arrived here that night, this came along." She spoke softly as an old, crumbled note was handed to Jas. The hand-writing was old-fashioned, joint together, and was seemingly written in a rush.

"This was 15 years ago!"

"Just read it." Aunt Bee urged as Jas rolled her eyes and shrugged.

 _To whom it may concern,_

 _I, the professor of Pyromancy of Ravenwood School of Magical Arts, with esteemed Headmaster Ambrose himself, have entrusted this child to you. Until the safety of the school is sustainable, ensure her safety, protect her with your life._

 _Jasmine Spiritheart possesses a great power, but she mustn't know anything of it, not now. That is until she is prepared. Yes. It is true. She is a Pyromancer, a wizard with the ability to command bright, burning flame of raw emotion. Be aware that a regular Pyromancer would be rather tempestuous, easily angered, and consumed by whatever drives them at the moment. Luckily, she took after her mother's gentle attitude. She won't hurt anyone even if she's extremely infuriated._

 _Her mother has, most unfortunately, passed away while giving birth to her. And as for her father, the school council are currently on a search for him, whom we believe is still alive, but missing. So I implore you, dear reader, make no attempt to uncover her past further more, and remain silent to any queries about Jasmine, her past and this message. They are best left unknown._

 _Best regards and good luck._

 _Dalia Falmea_

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"A wizard?" Jas said again; she repeated reading that same sentence several times. "I don't believe this..." the letter slipped off very slowly from Jas' hand.

"I'd understand if you no longer want to speak to me anymore, Jas." Aunt Bee said gloomily, "If you want to leave, you can."

Jas was miffed, every cell inside her was screaming at her to react. Grief, rage, joy, fear, anything really.

"I'm gonna put the kettle on..." She finally mumbled as she trudged downstairs to the kitchen.

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The icy water trickled down her cheeks as Jas rinsed. The water trickled own her forehead, over her cheekbones, then below her chin. Nothing made sense, She wasn't capable of simple thoughts anymore. Jas sobbed quietly, for 15 years, she had imagine what her mother would look like. Maybe they shared the same round nose, or those same auburn eyes, but it turned out it was all for naught, now she would never know. Not only that, there was almost no possibilities to finally meet her own Dad who may or may not be even alive, and it was even more overwhelming. Jas took a quick glance at the mirror, and swiftly wiped away her tears as soon as she saw a reflection of Sandy, her roommate, who was watching her this whole time.

"Alright, not that my life is messed up enough," Jas choked as she tried to sound confident, "you're just gonna make fun of me, as well! Is that it?"

It was really strange that Sandy didn't say anything at all, just silently watching her and stared.

"What are you still staring at?" Jas spoke again. Jas turned around to face her.

Her stare was ominous, cold, literally _possessed_. What was really creepy, was that Sandy was two meters closer to her than just two seconds ago. Just when Jas opened her mouth to say something to her, Sandy wrapped her cold hands around Jas' neck and squeezed. She tackled her to the ground, almost hitting her head on the sink and pressed down her throat.

Struggling to breathe, Jas tried pushing away Sandy's arms from her neck as she choked. Gasping desperately for air, Jas managed to have enough energy to lift her legs up and swiftly kicked Sandy's stomach, sending her flying backwards. Jas coughed violently as she watched Sandy hit the old mirror on the wall, leaving a dent behind her as several scraps of the mirror fell on the ground.

 _Aunt Bee's gonna kill us when she sees that!_

Jas stared up at Sandy, who began walking towards her. She looked down to Sandy's bruised hand; there was a mirror shard in her fingers. Sandy was holding it so tight as if it was an iphone 6, her fingers was bleeding from the glass. Jas very quickly scooted away from her. She raised her hand, aimed the mirror piece for Jas' chest.

Suddenly there was a metal thud coming from the back of Sandy's head. For a moment she just stared, till she slowly collapsed on the cold floor. The glass shard bounced from her bleeding fingers to Jas' foot. Aunt Bee, who looked as if she's seen a ghost, she held a frying pan with her trembling hands, and stood behind Sandy's knocked out body.

"Jasmine?"

"Aunt Bee..." Jas was close to tears again. Aunt Bee hurriedly held her close. "What the hell is all this coming from?"

"I don't know, sweetie." Aunt Bee soothed, stroking her hair. "But now that they know where you are, this place is no longer safe for you."

"What? Who? Who's after me?"

"I'm not sure, even if I know, I'm not the right person to tell you that, Jasmine."

"So I have to... leave?" Jas whimpered, looking up to see Aunt Bee's reaction.

"I'm afraid so, dearie." She stated dejectedly.

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Jas went back to the sink to rinse her face again; after that, she tried slapping herself, and hoped she would wake up from this nightmare. Unfortunately, she wasn't dreaming.

"Why did you do that?" Aunt Bee asked, looking at Jas' reddened cheek she just slammed, "Don't tell me they've possessed you, too!"

" _Possessed?_ " Jas repeated, "Sandy was _possessed_?"

"That's my guess."

Jas sighed. "Somehow this doesn't surprise me anymore..."

They walked back to her dorm room, and sat beside Sandy's bed in silence, who was still unconscious from that blow on her head.

"Do you think she's gonna be alright?" Jas asked, and if she was being honest to herself, it felt strange to be worried about Sandy for once.

"I think so." Aunt Bee replied, "Concussion, maybe. Amnesia, perhaps. Brain disorder, probably. But she'll live."

"Right." Jas shuddered as the memory of her previous interview washed over her thoughts as soon as she mentioned ' _brain disorder'_. "So, when do I have to leave?" She added.

"Whenever you're ready." Aunt Bee replied, "I'll help you pack if you want."

"Everything's set?" Aunt Bee checked. Jasmine nodded weakly as her response as she squeezed the handle of her backpack. "Nervous, are you?"

"What _really_ happened to my parents?" She queried, slowly lifting her gaze to Aunt Bee's, who avoided her gaze.

"I'm ashamed to say that I don't know that, either, Jasmine." She answered.

"It's okay." Jas said, "I had a feeling you were gonna said that..."

They shared a moment of silence before Aunt Bee said, "The note that came along with the letter says that this tiny glass ball can take you to your destination, just drop it, wait for the fog to spread, and you're there."

"I think you call that a crystal ball." She stated, "I'm gonna miss this room, and I'll miss you, too." Aunt Bee gave her a long embrace before handling her the crystal.

"Look on the bright side: you're finally getting adopted!"

"Yeah... I guess I am." Jas slowly let the crystal slip away from her fingers.

The moment the glass hit the ground, smoke began to form and Jas quickly whispered a farewell as she was slowly enveloped by it.

"Goodbye, Jasmine." Aunt sobbed. And that was the last thing Jas had heard from Bee Collins.

She suddenly remembered Owen whom she lent her Biology book and her promise to Ashley; that made Jas even more depressed.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Owen is fictional, but Ashley's personality is inspired by a friend of mine. I don't know if she has a bae at the moment (though I'm pretty sure she does), her dialogue from the text is based on how much I know her and my perspectives. (On both having a fugitive boyfriend and Ashley's characteristics)**

 **The Biology textbook is also a true event. Funny, here I am typing in my room in Taipei while it's lost in a high school classroom in my hometown in Britain.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Jas tried waving the fog away as she coughed. She kept her eyes closed, just in case the fog got into her eyes. Jas grasped her backpack and took several steps back, until she somehow tripped on a peddle. She fell on her back and groaned in pain. Her hand suddenly felt something hard and rough.

 _Is this... cobblestone?_ She thought to herself, confused. She was indoor just a minute ago.

With the fog gone, Jas gawked at the sight. There was a big pond before her, surrounded with lush, short, glistening grass. The buildings here were old-fashioned, miniature towers. She gazed at the ground, each tile of the cobblestone road was like a puzzle piece, all connected to form a pattern that went along the other roads. Jas was pretty sure this place had summer all year, because even at night, she felt like she was gonna evaporate, or it was just her. Everything about this place was so European old-school, like Renaissance!

 _Calm down, Jas._ She assured to herself. _No one's gonna hurt you here._

It took three minutes for her legs to regain their enough strength to stand. She leaned on a wall nearby, just before a sound of a twig snapping was heard. Jas spun around, getting slightly worried now.

"Who's there?!" She yelled, trying to sound brave. Jas pretty sure it heard her, as a small shadow was stretching behind a tree just a few feet away.

There, revealed a... puppy.

That made Jas felt like an utter idiot. It was bright with red and light yellow fur. It's innocent brown eyes was staring at her cautiously, yet it didn't seem to be afraid of her. Jas' legs somehow collapsed again when it started approaching her.

"Keep a distance, will you?" Jas warned wearily. The cub paused only for a second, then took several more steps towards her. Jas stared at it intently; she squeaked in surprised when it let out a huffing sound. The cub wagged its tail and looked at her in a teasing way with his tongue out, as if it was laughing at her. The little cub walked up to her and rested its head on her lap.

"Um..." She looked down at the young canine, which let out a small, long yawn. "Cute..." She added, "Yet I'm here talking by myself. Out loud. In the middle of nowhere..." She slapped her forehead.

"I'm guessing you got separated, didn't you?" She asked, "So I'm just like you, then. I'm lost, too." It moved its gaze to hers, and snuggled onto her legs. "I mean, Sort of like you... I never knew my parents..."

"Hello?" Someone yelled, making them both jump.

Jas shifted farther away from the direction of the voice until her back was pressing against the wall. The pup's ears perked up in surprise. "Is someone out here?" The voice shouted again as a bigger shadow appeared around the corner. A stranger came up to her. He was a massive fellow wearing green light armor, carrying a big, long battleaxe, and he was a _bear, talking to her._ Jas gaped at the sight in shock with her jaw hanging open, feeling like having a heart attack.

"What are you looking at?" The bear said. His voice was deep, but friendly in a way, and his dark eyes twinkled at her. "Never seen a bear from Grizzleheim before?" He then smiled, "What are you up to in the middle of the night?"

"Uh- Um... I-" Jas stammered, quickly stood up while trying to find a proper response, "I would ask you the same question."

"Oh, of course. I am Baldur Goldpaws." He began, "As trader of Grizzleheim, it's my job to try to find the perfect spot to share some goods here in Wizards City!"

"Wait," Jas started, "did you say _wizards?_ " _That means I'm on the right track_. Jas thought.

The cub behind Jas let out a small bark as if in greetings. "Oh, I see you're not on your own after all!" Baldur crouched down, letting the cub to put a tiny paw on his. "Curious... It's not like a little Heckhound to be on his own." He stated. "Heckhound cubs usually stay with their litter, or occasionally, move with their pack." Jas glanced at the little Heckhound, which tilted his head up to look back at her. She smiled lightly at him as he nuzzled her hand. He looked more like a red and golden German Shepard to her.

"So, where were you heading?" Baldur asked. Jas felt her insides dropped at his question.

"I didn't think about that." She replied. Jas gazed down at the pup next to her, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. "We just arrived here and I didn't make any appointments."

Baldur scratched his chin with his claw, thinking. "Well, if you'd like," He began, "you may stay at my ship for a while. Then you can see the Headmaster first thing in the morning." He stated. "And don't worry about seasickness, I won't set sail until a few hours after sunrise."

"Thanks." Jas said with a smile; she glanced down at the Heckhound. "We'd like that, would we?" Its eyes lit up at the statement, so Jas was pretty sure it replied _Yes!_

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"Welcome to my humble ship!" Baldur gestured proudly at the transportation. Jas stared at it, and was utterly amazed by it. The way it stood majestically as the wind blew gracefully along with its sails, and the way it could _float._ It could _float!_

"Flying ships, too!?" Jas whispered, "this place just keeps getting more bizarre by the minute!"

"Well?" Baldur called out, "Are you coming or not?" Jas quickly snapped out of it and jogged towards the bear's direction. He slightly bend down with one arm spread out, forming a gentleman gesture, "Ladies first."

Jas wandered around the deck aimlessly; since Baldur is gonna be steering tomorrow, she might as well explore a bit while he was busy. She spotted a barrel nearby and sat down. Something flickered on the clear, navy-blue night-sky from behind the clouds, something polar-white, or molten-gold, or even sequin-silver.

The stars were so much bigger and brighter than the ones back in New York; she wasn't even sure if they were the ones from the outer space. Then again, she was in a completely different dimension.

Jas sighed faintly at the scattered moon-dust, then before she knew, she was moving her fingers gently behind the young Heckhound's left ear. It crawled onto her knees and admired the glittering display on the arch void-black with her. Jas found herself smiling slowly at the little cub's warmth under her arms.

"Well, would you look at that!" Baldur suddenly exclaimed, "I don't think I've seen you smile before!" He went on. "Anyway, you got a name, young wizard?"

"It's Jas." She replied proudly, "I'm Jasmine Spiritheart."

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Jas groaned groggily, lazily rubbed her eyelids and realized she was leaning on the barrel she was sitting on from last night.

 _Did I seriously fell asleep on a barrel?_ She thought to herself, bewildered. The barrel was surprisingly comfortable.

Something was snoring gently beside her. The baby Heckhound was snoozing with his paws spread out and his nose still nudging Jas' fingers. Jas scratched his head; the cub's right ear twitched at the move. She laughed quietly.

"So, did you sleep well?" Baldur questioned with a grin. "And to think I was worrying about not having a good spot for you to spend last night; you must've been so worn out to be willing sleeping outside the cabin!"

Jas yawned at his comment. "Where are we heading now?"

"Ravenwood." He stated, "Come on now. Headmaster Ambrose would want to see you!" She suddenly remembered the letter she got from Aunt Bee.

...

Aunt Bee...

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"Jas?" Baldur spoke suddenly, his tone was of concern. "Are you okay? You've been quiet for our whole trip here." Jas surveyed the environment; they were back at the area where Baldur found her last night. The pond's surface was glistening; the grass was greener at day. When Jas looked up, she quickly blocked the blazing rays from temporarily blinding her and peeked through her fingers. Even the sunrise at Wizard City seemed to be bigger than anywhere else in America.

 _There is something._ Jas glanced at her feet, _but it would be rude to have someone concerning about me on the first day._

She hurriedly responded "No, I'm fine." with a small smile. Baldur nodded in acceptance, but he was still gazing at her doubtfully. "Alright then," He said, "Welcome back to the Commons. This is where I have to leave you. You think you can find your way around here from now?"

Jas nodded blankly. "Wait, Baldur. I think- Baldur?"

He was gone. For a big fella, he sure moved quickly.

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Jas was really grateful for the map Baldur gave her as a welcome gift, otherwise things couldn't have been more harder to find. At the moment, she was facing a strange, old man in a blue, long gear and a smart owl, who both smiled at her baffled expression. Jas stared absorbingly at the man, then at the owl, and repeated the motion.

"Welcome, young wizard, to Wizard City, where the prestigious Ravenwood School of Magical Arts resides!" The old man said with pride, "I am Merle Ambrose, the esteemed Headmaster of Ravenwood."

The owl cleared his throat suddenly. "Ah, yes. This is my trusty owl companion: Gamma. You may not have known, but, Gamma is the one who have chosen you to be summoned to the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts."

"Not bad for an owl." Her eyebrows raised slightly. "Gamma, you remember Jasmine, I presume?" Jas' eyes widened at the mention of her name.

"I never told you my-... How did you know-?"

"Of course!" Gamma replied, "It's certainly hard not to. I was especially most impressed with the event when she could've destroy the department where they mostly receive athletic education."

"Oh... You mean the gymnasium..." Jas corrected sheepishly, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"And a great deal of trouble it brought you, didn't it?" Headmaster stated with a bright smile, "I apologize that your first night in the Spiral had to be rough; we would have had your application paper sorted out earlier to arrange a Dorm for you if it wasn't for that Firecat that snuck into the office one day.

He gently tapped his staff thoughtfully, "On a more important matter; in order to make you feel more than welcome in campus, I've decided that you should have a complete tour of the whole city instead of only Ravenwood. After all, it's what your parents would've wanted for you."

Someone suddenly came knocking on the office door. "It's about time he arrives!" The owl commented with an excited hoot.

"Hello, Professor. Hey, Gamma!" A boy greeted cheerfully as he came in. He was very tall but seemed to be no older than Jas. He was equipped in a white hood, a blue waistcoat with a golden belt fastened at the middle. A white cape attached at his collar. Jas glanced at his weapon, its blade was almost glowing with its surrounding virid aura. He smiled in greetings as he passed by. Jas thought he looked quite dashing.

"Speaking of the devil!" Gamma gave a hoot.

"Oh, you guys were talking about me? I hope it was all good things." He said playfully, with a slight British dialect.

"Ah, Nicholas! Good morning." Ambrose greeted, He turned to the awaiting Jas, "Jasmine, this is Nicholas Seatamer, he will be leading you through the city during your grand tour!"

Nicholas quickly bowed in a dramatic flourish with his cape. Jas laughed softly when he grinned. "My friends call me Nick!" He introduced.

"Hey, Nick." Jas said, .

"Off you two, then. Just leave your backpack here and we'll take care of your enrollment and other preparations. Remember, young wizards: have fun!" Headmaster Ambrose urged as he gently nudged Jas' shoulder to hurry up. "I'm sure Nicholas will have plenty to show you before sunset!" The two quickly left the office.

"Merle?"

"Yes, Gamma?"

"There's a baby Heckhound asleep in your office."

That cub was sleeping against Jas' backpack.

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"What's all this?" Jas pointed out the ruins of what probably used to be a building, just between the Myth and Fire School.

"Oh, that's a very long story." He stated, "Well, since it's the last destination, and almost sunset, I might as well make it a bit more interesting." He quickly cleared his throat.

Jas listened intently as he spoke of the story.

* * *

 **Author's note: I'm pretty sure that you've all heard of the tragic tale of Malistaire Drake, if you don't, just go play the game. Read on! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

 _Wow, I'm pretty sure people can't get anymore miserable than that._ Jas thought to herself, thinking over the story just told by Nick. Changing from a legitimate professor to a raging control-freak wasn't a good way for a man to be fired.

"Honestly, I feel sorry for the poor guy." Nick said softly, "If only his wife was still alive, things would have been a lot easier for Ravenwood and everyone else."

"Yeah."

There was a silence.

"Oh, well. I look forward to seeing you in class!" He waved as he turned to leave.

Jas stared after Nick until he disappeared around the corner; he was the first guy that was nice to her, and the first she'd actually spoken to. Over the past few hours, he'd been nice, polite and keeping the tour interesting with his great sense of humor. Jas wished she memorized his features from his smooth, violent crimson red hair to his amethyst eyes. Judging by his broad shoulders, he must be a really brawny fellow...

 _What am I thinking!?_ Jas slapped her forehead. _Don't you go down that road, Jas! Don't you forget He-Who-Do-Not-Get-Bathed!_

"Good evening."

Jas jumped and turned around in a startled manner; she found herself facing a tall woman in a long, red sheath dress; her hair resembled a candle flame. The stranger looked down at Jas without craning her neck as Jas hurriedly straightened herself at that elegant presence. "I am Dalia Falmea, professor of Pyromancy here in Ravenwood." The woman started in a mollified tone. "I wouldn't expect you to recall: I sent a letter to your guardian, or Aunt Bee, as you often address her..."

"N-no. I mean yes." Jas stuttered, remembering the letter Aunt Bee showed her before. "I remember."

"It's rude to interrupt." Falmea stated, in a slightly sterner tone. Still, that was enough to make Jas' blood run cold.

"I-I'm sorry!" Jas squeaked. _Way to make a great first impression, Jas..._

Falmea went on. "As I said, as one of the few who fully understand your parents' current positions, I share responsibilities of your safety along with the others." She gazed down at Jas again. "Any questions?"

Jas simply shook her head.

"Good. I expect you will pay full attention in class next week. You have much to learn from Pyromancy." Dalia gracefully walked away.

"Ms. Spiritheart?' A high voice chirped. Jas spun around, and saw Gamma fluttering before her.

"Yes?"

"I was to inform you that a dorm room has been arranged for you. Furthermore, as you reach the certain point of a school term, you'll be permitted to move in to a castle of your own."

"A _castle?_ " Jas repeated in elation, then something else hit her. "How am I supposed to afford a castle?"

"You, luckily, already own one."

"What?"

"You have a castle." He said again. "Well, technically, it belongs to your father. Not that he needs it anymore."

"All your properties and the required school supplies have been placed into your dorm room." Gamma said. "And I'm sure your roommate will be glad to assist you."

"A roommate?" Jas suddenly thought of her ex-roommate.

"Your first class begins next week." Gamma fluttered his tiny wings a little faster. "I wish you good luck, Jasmine." Then he was off. Jas hesitantly walked into the Girl's Dormitory with her fingers crossed.

WWWWWWWW

 _This door. This goddamn door. Why is this door making it almost impossible to knock on?_

Jas scowled at the doorknob to her dorm room; her knuckles quivering and lingering just millimeters from the wood. With several quick deep breathes, she knocked on the damn door, and immediately regretted as soon as she heard footsteps thudding inside.

The door opened, a girl was revealed, whose eyes were as curious as Jas'.

She looked mature for her age; no taller, though, and her bright, turquoise eyes seemingly brought out her child-like personality. Her fair lavender hair was tied back into a ponytail, which would've have looked so much better if it was let down.

"Hi. I'm Alicia." She greeted with a smile and held out her hand. "They call me Ali."

Jas took her hand and shook it. "I'm Jas. It's short for Jasmine."

Suddenly, there was a sound of claws scrapping on the wooden door. A familiar face came out and pounced at Jas. Her back slammed the floor as she tried processing on what just assaulted her. It was the baby Heckhound.

Jas groaned before mumbling "Hello again." to her furry friend.

"The poor thing's been peeling the door with his nails while you were gone." Ali stated. "Can I help you unpack?"

"Sure."

As they entered the room, Jas saw books. _Lots and lots_ of books. And a bunch of other class tools and equipment. She then noticed a pile of neatly fold red fabric on her bed. She approached to examine them; one of them was hood in a carmine color with a raven beak connected to the top, along with a crimson robe attached with rubies and feathers. A pair of boots were placed by the bed, also in a red color. The last item was a bow, leaning against the boots.

"Are those are for me?" Jas asked under her breathe.

"Yeah." Ali replied. "You didn't think your parents would leave you nothing, didn't you?"

WWWWWWWW

It took hours to have everything set and tidy up, and took more efforts than they expected, too. Despite that and the fact it was pass midnight, Jas found it difficult to find any sleep. She gazed at the Heckhound,

"The orphanage wouldn't even let us have a goldfish as a pet," Jas whispered to him. "Maybe they had some issues with the Health Department."

As quietly and quickly as she could, Jas slowly slid off from the edge of her bed and hurriedly tiptoed to her backpack then went back with a pencil and her sketchbook. Jas took a good long look at the cub, whose head tilted to one side cutely.

She first began scribbling down her draft, carefully dragged the tip of her pencil on the paper to outline it; examining every line and angle, checking for faulty strokes and finally surveying her finished work. Hopefully she could color it first thing in the morning.

 _Now, what do I name it?_ Jas suddenly remembered a story she heard on the radio once. That was over a decade ago but she would often get tearful no matter how many times she heard it.

It was about a Husky named Hucky which saved his family during an earthquake in Asia: one night, Hucky's family took him out for an evening walk, but got in a car accident. His owners hadn't sleep for two days just to wait for the news from the hospital. On the third night, the youngest owner started yelling at his parents and claimed that he saw Hucky across the street, who actually showed up at their doorstep. However, instead of giving them a proper reunion, Hucky bit the young owner on the arm and drove everyone out of their building, which, to people's shock, collapsed, with Hucky still inside. The whole area turned out to be shaking and falling. Luckily, most people survived that night.

It all made sense: Hucky somehow knew about the earthquake and slipped away from the hospital. That was when Jas knew Hucky had saved everyone.

Wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand, she pushed the sketchbook further away in fear of her stirred up tears staining the papers. The soft, muffled sniffles caught the cub's ears, so he crawled onto her legs and let out a soft whine, like a child attempting to comfort his mother.

"It's alright. I'm alright. Don't go worrying about me." muttered Jas with a weary smile, and scratched his velvety ear. _Anyway, a name._ She said to herself. _What rhymes with 'Hucky'?_ Jas stared at her sketchbook before quickly writing down the first word that popped into her head.

"Wow. That's him, alright." said Ali, who was awake this whole time. She glanced at the joint writing on the page. "I didn't know his name is Lucky."

"Me neither." replied Jas. She smiled. "I guess I just had to draw him first."

* * *

 **Author's note: The 'Hucky's incident' is actually a true story that happened around 1999, I think. However, it wasn't from a radio but a Youtube video of a guy telling the story. It was in Chinese so I had to get a friend from Taiwan to translate it. When I first heard it, I was crying a pool.**

 **Still, nothing is happening in this chapter and no doubt, the cheesiest title here, now that I've gone over it myself XD Let's hope the next one will be more exciting.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 _What the hell is that dripping?_ There was a warm, slimy sensation on Jas' knuckles. She shifted and stretched in her bed dazedly and let out a lazy yawn, then found Lucky's paws snuggling her right arm with his jaw hanging open and drooling on the back of her hand. In fear of waking up her pet, Jas steadily pulled out her arm and inspected her Heckhound-saliva-covered fingers.

"Ew." She muttered, quickly wiping her hand on the nearby unwanted T-shirt she hadn't worn for months. _God knows how long this will wash out._

It took a few minutes for Jas to recall the recent events: a new school, talking animals, or the fact that she was a _wizard_ ...she was in for a long week.

There was a sound of a doorknob rattling, Ali entered the room almost sneakily, and let out a startled gasp seeing Jas with curious eyes.

"H-hey, you're up!" Ali fiddled with the door handle until it closed.

"Hi." Jas said, eyeing Ali in suspicion. "Are you okay, Ali?"

"Fine. Just fine." Ali stated, regaining her cheerful composure.

Without realizing it, Jas smirked. "You might as well just admit it. I've seen that look on many girls' faces."

Ali's brows narrowed. "Really?"

"I can see through almost everyone." _She said. Even wizards, apparently._ "It's kinda like a superpower of mine."

 _I mean, if you're gonna be an artist, you gotta have a good eye right?_

According to Jas, this _look_ either means you've been misbehaving on Christmas, or when you were secretly staring at someone for too long.

Ali stood for a long minute before sitting down on the edge of Jas' bed with a defeated sigh.

Well... There _is_ something that has my attention lately...

"Which is...?" Jas urged, shifting closer to see Ali's face.

"Well... _someone_ , actually..." That came out as a shy, reluctant whisper.

 _I knew it._

"I wasn't stalking him! I swear!" Ali held up her left hand while the right was placed on her chest. "I just want to think of the best approach."

Jas was no matchmaker, but she'd seen enough girls falling head over heels for pretty boys who most of the time were just obviously wimps or assholes.

"Is he a friend?"

"No."

Jas thought about it for a moment. "Does he know you?"

"I don't think so. No."

"Have you even talked to him?"

"Um... No."

"Then how can you know if you really like him?" Jas didn't consider herself as a romantic, yet at Ali's rate, even Jas could do better than her.

"I know everything about him!" Ali yelled in her defense. "I know he's horrible at making snowmen, he likes the color purple and loves ice cream sandwich!" Jas raised an eyebrow. Ali went on, "But above all, he's always wanted to be a daredevil performer more than anything!"

Jas stared at Ali. "Ice cream sandwich...?"

"Well, sometimes he prefers fries dipped in milkshake. We never know."

This was silly, very unlikely for her to be concerned about, yet it seemed to Jas that Ali would shave a head for him.

"Why not send a note or something?" Jas said. "You know, at least let him know your feelings for him."

"Right..." Ali took several deep breathes. "I will." Then they both collapsed on the bed, and shared a minute of silence.

"So... you got any plans lately?" Ali suddenly asked.

"No. Why?" Jas asked, patting at the still-snoring Lucky.

"There's going to be a tournament in a few weeks. We can hit the road to the Arena now if you're interested." Ali explained. "Might as well give you some practice before the school term starts."

Jas looked at Ali, baffled. "The Arena?"

"Oh, right; newbie." Ali cleared her throat. "The Arena is where every wizards like us, practice our use of spells, tactics and different strategies. Every year, the Arena will hold a Tournament just for us students; a little friendly competition with classmates or students from other schools. It's not too late to sign up now."

Jas nodded as she listened, but frowned.

"But I don't even _do_ magic. How am I supposed to compete with other teams?"

"That's why I suggest we take a trip to the Practice Duel Circle in the Arena." Ali stated with a slight sigh. "But I'm a Conjurer, and you're a Pyromancer. This year's Tournament is less than a month away. It means we're gonna need a little back up."

"Conjurer?" Jas asked, looking lost.

"God help me..."

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Jas had put on her new dueling gear: the hood, the robe, the boots with her fingers tightly clutched around her bow. In order to be as comfortable as possible, even when in a wizard combat, Ali suggested her to get used to her new outfit, which she would be wearing for a very long time.

The weekend was passing quicker than Jas expected, with Ali willing to spend the time explaining the rules of the dueling circle, the basic incantations, the simplest spells and other useful strategies. Now that it was Saturday, Ali told Jas that it was about time to get practical.

Getting to know more about one's own teammates was definitely one of the most crucial.

"Remind me why we're back in the Girls' Dormitory again?"

"To introduce you." Ali stated.

"What!?"

Ali waved at her to shut up, quickly muttered Wait here. , and went knocking the door they stopped by. A new girl emerged from the room.

She was only a bit shorter and slimmer than most people Jas had seen so far; like Ali, her cerise hair was also in a ponytail. Her pale, freckled features made her big yellow eyes stood out. Jas suddenly took notice of her skirt: it was of orange leaves. She was also wearing a regular V-neck shirt with even more leaves on the sleeves.

"Hi, Ali. What brings you here?" The chromatic girl greeted loudly.

"Hey, Scarlet. We have a new arrival in our town!" She remarked. "And I think she'll do great on our side with just a bit of help!"

Scarlet, whose big eyes just got wider, suddenly grins at the news. "Rain!" She returned to her room. "Rain, come on! We're going out!"

Another girl crept up behind Scarlet. Jas noticed that apart from the blue hair in pigtails, blue eyes, tan skin and the height difference(shorter), Rain shared a massive resemblance with Scarlet. "Hi." She said quietly.

"To the Arena!" Scarlet announced loudly, making everyone jump.

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Practicing one's attack and defence spells in a circle was just as important.

"No!"

"Yes."

"I won't do it."

"It wouldn't hurt to try."

"Rephrase: I _can't_ do it!"

"Sure you can! It's too easy for you!"

Jas gazed at the card, which read _Firecat_.

"The trick with fire magic is not to concern oneself with the heat of the flame, but rather with the passion of one's heart." Scarlet explained in a matter-of-fact manner. "At least that's what Professor Falmea always tells us."

"Come again?" Jas said, continued fiddling with the card in her hands.

She sighed. "Another words; think about what you really want to do." Scarlet explained again, in a more serious tone. Jasmine looked down at her spellcard, then at the observant Rain, who smiled encouragingly.

Jas pouted. _Alright... Like she said, It wouldn't hurt to try..._ She suddenly froze. _Or will it?_

"Oh. Come on! Jas!" Ali exclaimed from one of the audience seats, clearly annoyed. "Are you always this paranoid?"

"If I don't understand it? Then yes!" Yelled an frustrated Jas. _Fuck it..._ She thought, and glowered at the card once more before holding it firmly in her fingers, not hard enough to crease it. With full concentration, a warm spark began to materialize in her palm, then slowly took shape into a flaring flame. (A small, picked up trick with Scarlet's help) Very carefully, she combined the card and the flame while trying her best not to mispronounce the incantation. The fire in her hands broke loose and sprung up into a large, blazing, magnificent feline creature: a Firecat.

"You were saying?" Scarlet said with a grin to Jas, who couldn't pick her jaw up off the floor.

The Firecat steadily turned to see its summoner; its eyes and Jas' met for a second before it growled incoherently.

"I don't think it likes me..." Jas whispered to Scarlet.

"Go on and pat it!" Scarlet whispered back.

" _WHAT!?_ " Jas breathed, it came out louder than she wanted. They both glanced at the big cat, which was still eyeing them intently. Very hesitantly and haltingly, she took several steps towards it. The Firecat stood very still, which Jas really hoped was a good sign. Rain quickly took hold of her sister's hand, and Scarlet took hers, forming a chain of excitement.

Jas, now three feet away from the beast, had her arm out; the Firecat looked at her quivering hand in front of its muzzle, its back was arched, head was lowered and the its back became a raging fire.

"Guys?" Jas called, hurriedly looking at the others then to the Firecat, which was now in a predator's position. It hissed. "Guys!?" She called again. The next thing she knew, Jas was looking at a big paw with glowing claws. Jas dodged it just in time, only the skirt of her robe was slightly scrapped.

They both scurried, slipped and scrambled all over the Arena circle as the Firecat pounced behind Jas. When Jas almost reached to a wall, she tripped over in the worst moment possible: the Firecat was in the air, with its forearms extended and fangs bared, only a few inches above her. "Shit." She whispered, "shit!"

"Jas!" Ali yelled.

"GO BACK TO SLEEP, WHISKERS!" Someone else yelled. It was neither Scarlet's nor Rain's. Jas wasn't sure what else who else it would be as she kept her eyes closed. Until she heard...

 _Bats?_ She looked up hesitantly. _Lightning bats._ She thought.

There were three of those flashing creatures, all circling around that one Firecat. Judging by the fact that the fiery feline was begining to lose its vicious demeanor and it now seemed more like a confused kitty, it wasn't a fair fight. Moving her gaze onto the Arena floor, Jas could see Scarlet jogging towards her direction and a strange girl with lightning in her hands. She kept her eyes closed, and could still hear Scarlet calling her name repeatedly and Rain using her Ice magic to cool down the brawl. (No pun intended)

Without realising it, Jas was panting like a fish out of water, her chest rising and falling with unsteady breathes; Scarlet suddenly gripped her shoulder and her arm to help her up.

"Don't worry." She says. "You'll get another chance."

"It's easy for you to say." Jas grumbled, earning an eye roll from Scarlet.

"Are you okay?" Jas looked up to see the newcomer. Now that she had a closer look, Jasmine could see that the stranger's feature was pale, a little too pale for the usual sunny weather in Wizard City. And for a moment, Jas thought she saw fangs.

"I-I'm alright..."

"Oh, good. I didn't get your name?"

"Jasmine. Just call me Jas."

"Christina."

They both smiled in greetings.

"What just happened?" Rain said out loud, probably the loudest she heard from her so far.

"It's not everyday you see a spell backfire." Christina replied.

"The way your girls are discussing this is _very_ comforting..." Jas said with heavy sarcasm.

"I don't understand. She was doing perfectly fine at first. The Firecat didn't have any reason to attack its castor." Scarlet said, more likely to herself.

"Maybe it's because she skipped breakfast." Ali had came down to the group and suggested. "You know what they say: it's the most important meal of the day." Then her grin faded almost as quick as it came. " Now that I realized it, we all did."

The group seemed to think about it for a moment, till Scarlet agreed with a smile.

"Breakfast sounds good! Who's hungry?"

Jas was more than willing to raise her hand.

* * *

 **Author's note: Yay! Finally some action! :D**

 **I wanna thank Saru, known as _jFohrII_ in Deviantart for lending me two of her OCs: the twins Scarlet and Rain! And of course, Skulls, who also has a DA account named _Christinaskullgem_ and owns Christina! :) Go get to know them through checking out their gallery, they're both awesome!**

 **Alicia and Jas are both owned by me.**


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